Fort Collins murder suspect: 'I did not kill Kathy Mondragon'

Tolentino Corzo-Avendano gives a testimony to the court during his trial at the Larimer County Justice Center on Monday, August 7, 2017. Corzo-Avendano is accused of stabbing Kathy and Sara Mondragon in February of 2016. Kathy died from her injuries. (Photo: Austin Humphreys/The Coloradoan)Buy Photo

He was adamant Monday at the Larimer County Justice Center: He is not guilty.

Public defender Matthew Landers asked Corzo-Avendano point blank if he killed Kathy Mondragon.

"I did not kill Kathy Mondragon," Corzo-Avendano replied.

Landers asked him if he tried to kill Sara Mondragon.

"I did not try to kill Sara Mondragon," he said.

Corzo-Avendano chose to testify in English on Monday, rather than through the aid of Spanish translators, who have been assisting throughout the trial.

During Landers' questioning, the defendant told a story that matched the broad outline of events described in other witnesses' testimony, but key details differed — namely, who was responsible for the attack.

Corzo-Avendano and his co-defendant Tomas Vigil drove to Greeley together that night, he said, echoing details from Vigil's previous testimony. He did smoke methamphetamine, and the pair visited an apartment in Buffalo Run and drove around town together, he confirmed.

However, Vigil drove the pair to the duplex on Stover Street that Kathy Mondragon, Sara Mondragon and Sara's 2-year-old daughter shared in hopes they could use their printer, Corzo-Avendano said.

"I got to ... fall in love with that child," he testified, noting his fondness for the toddler.

He said he called Sara Mondragon six times that night — twice from a blocked number — because he was borrowing another woman's cellphone and he didn't want the two to find out about each another.

Although he and Sara Mondragon had been dating recently, he was seeing five other women at the time, he said.

He said he rang the doorbell, despite the fact that it was late.

Sara Mondragon answered and let him and Vigil into the home, he said. Corzo-Avendano told the jury that he jokingly took her phone and held it away from her in a game he hoped she would find funny, but the two lost balance. He fell on top of her and hit her head during their fall, but it was an accident, he said.

At that point, he said he decided to leave and returned to the street where Vigil had parked the Jeep.

"I wanted to leave the house because I did not want to make anybody mad," he said.

At first, he thought Vigil had followed him out of the home, he said, and he waited in the car for what he estimated to be two to five minutes.

Later, when Vigil came running back to the car, acting "paranoid" and "weird," Corzo-Avendano testified he had no idea what happened.

He said he did not realize the Mondragons had been stabbed until he was arrested the following day by a SWAT team and notified of his charges by Fort Collins police officers.

Vigil, who had previously been charged with 20 counts including first-degree murder, took a plea deal for a significantly lesser charge in September in exchange for his testimony in Corzo-Avendano's trial.

Vigil testified that it was Corzo-Avendano who stabbed the women, even though he did not intervene.

Last week, Sara Mondragon told the court repeatedly that it was Corzo-Avendano who stabbed her. Her testimony corroborated Vigil's version of events in which he stood silently nearby during the attack. She also testified that she heard banging noises coming from her grandmother's room down the hall.

Prosecutors will cross-examine Corzo-Avendano on Tuesday, and closing arguments are also expected in the case.

The trial, which was 17 months in the making, began July 24. After closing arguments, jurors will return a verdict, and Eighth Judicial District Judge Julie Kunce Field will impose a sentence at a later date if Corzo-Avendano is convicted.